


Of Sugar and Spice

by Starlight (Fandom_Eclipse)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Fluffy Ending, GET IT, Gen, Little bit of Pepper at the end, Mild Angst, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), in between cannon, marvel writing challenge, mwc, random words, rwrc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-05 13:50:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16811884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fandom_Eclipse/pseuds/Starlight
Summary: He was staying in a room at the compound, so he really shouldn’t have been so caught off guard when an explosion woke him.Just a day in the compound with Rhodey and some others mixed in. As an entry in a challenge, the words were: run, suite, and pride.





	Of Sugar and Spice

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! This is a challenge from an account over on Tumblr at https://marvelwritingchallenge.tumblr.com  
> Feel free to check it out along with the other entries in the tag!

The sun wasn’t even up yet and James Rhodes was already tired of this day.

He was staying in a room at the compound, so he really shouldn’t have been so caught off guard when an explosion was what woke him. What got him up was the fact that it was at four, and with it being early December the night was over an hour from coming to a conclusion. Rhodey had grabbed the closest firearm and sprinted down as fast as his improved leg supports would take him while muttering a string of profanity. Really, a wonderful start to his morning.

The incident with the Sokovia Accords was still fresh in his mind, even though it had been over six months ago. Rhodes was quite frankly pissed at how out of all his friends, it was only Tony who was going out off his way to be civil. He still had nightmares of the ex-Avengers busting in to finish off Tony, despite him knowing they’d never do something like that. Then again, he’d thought he knew Steve, but that didn’t stop Tony staggering back from Siberia with a hollow expression and complete refusal to explain anything.

So yeah, he was nervous when he got down to Stark’s labs. Not that he would ever admit it.

All his anxiety turned out to be for nothing upon entering to find only an incredibly unamused Tony being doused with a fire extinguisher Dum-E had on...hand...arm? It seemed to be the usual accidental chemical reaction that would be mixed out of either exhaustion or sheer boredom. The supposed genius looked up at Rhodey with a teasing smirk clearly reminiscent of their days in MIT. The Colonel half expected a joke about his major in aerospace engineering technically making him a rocket scientist.

“So at least we know you can run in those. Unless you were waiting by the door for this moment. Which, it totally fine, if not a little creepy but who am I to judge?”

Rhodes took a long look at the wreckage and gave a resigned sigh as he lowered his gun.

“Tones, I swear to god…”

\---

After spending the next hour helping Tony clean up the lab, Rhodey figured there was no point in trying to get any more sleep and made a cup of coffee for them both. He had a feeling that Tony was in the labs all night, but there was nothing to do about it; he was as good at evading sleep as he was fighting on the field. And after knowing him for so many years, Rhodey couldn’t really blame him.

Tony was quick to return downstairs, presumably to continue working on whatever project in preparation for Peter, who was visiting the compound after school today. Rhodey was happy that the kid was around so often these days. He had a suspicion that both of them were planning increasingly complex holiday gifts for each other, and was torn between intervening and letting it play out.

Rhodey was taking a walk around the compound--harder said than done, but Tony put more time into these support than he did his own suit this last year--as he delayed the assignments he was given to do for Ross. Sure, he supported the Accords and accountability in the Avengers. That did not mean he had to like the asshole in charge of them. For someone who preached about the dangerous power the Avengers had, the General did seem to like treating them as mere playthings. Rhodes was wandering the former residential wing when he came across a door he hadn’t seen in a while.

He slipped into the ex-Avengers suite.

Everything was dull from the layer of dust it had collected from its lack of use. The room looked drained of its vibrant colors that Steve liked so much, and the whole place looked too pristine and wrong. Clint would’ve been all over the game systems or sitting on the fridge for some ungodly reason, Sam would be pestering Natasha about the book she was so stoically reading. Just a year ago Wanda was attempting to teach Vision to cook in the kitchen (that was the only part of this place currently free of dust), and in the middle of it all Steve and Tony would be debating about that day’s random subject.

Now, there was no evidence that anyone had so much as breathed in here. As if their time together never meant anything, and could be wiped away by something as minor as a disagreement over some legal documents. Rhodey didn’t want to admit it, but he was starting to miss those stubborn jerks.

He let out a heavy breath and left before the suffocating silence could get to him. Even if the others could return now, nothing would ever be the same. 

\---

The rest of his morning and the majority of his afternoon was spent dealing with whatever papers and errands Ross gave him. Honestly, it was mostly just Rhodes standing there cursing how long he spent in school for this as he nodded along with whatever the council did. Sighting of the rogues in Venezuela? Wonderful, but unlikely considering they were supposedly seen yesterday in Italy. Some senator’s wife had a child, congrats to them. It was really mind numbing; Rhodey almost envied Tony for his ability to get away with ditching these meetings.

Almost.

By the time he returned to the main living quarters, he could hear laughter ringing in the hallways. Rhodey couldn’t help but smile as he came in, the sight of Peter and Tony covered in baking flour as they huddled around a hologram in the kitchen not entirely unexpected.

“I’m just saying, Mr. Stark, I think I won. You’re just too proud to admit it.”

“See, that’s where you’re wrong kid. I can be both proud and right, it’s not that hard.”

“Do I even want to know what you two are up to?” They both perked up at his voice, likely too preoccupied with their debate to notice his entrance.

“Hi Rhodey! Mr. Stark and I were hungry so we decided to make cookies and I bet him that he’d forget to only add egg yolks to the batter, which you totally did forget.”

“Technically, I didn’t add any eggs at all, so I still won since I didn’t add any whites this time. And why does he get to be called his first name?”

Rhodey chuckled at their playful bickering, about to side with Peter (mostly to spite Tony) when he smelled something burning. The kid noticeably tensed before throwing himself under the table as the smoke detector went off, triggering the sprinkler system. There was a brief moment of panic as the two without the ever so useful ‘spider sense’ scrambled for a spot under the spider-approved table.

“So...as the neutral party here-”

“Nope.”

“-I’d just like to point out that you guys somehow set cookies on fire. I didn’t even know you could do that accidently-”

“Rhodey is now really the-”

“-but here we are.”

“...I am going to attack you with this spatula.”

“Aw, Tones, did I hurt your--Ah! Okay, It’s _ on. _ ”

“Guys, stop! There’s not enough room-”

“Did you just dump  _ sugar _ on me?”

“Did I? With all the flour, it’s hard to tell.”

“Ah! Guys, we should really turn off the alarm before-”

“Duck, Underoos!”

“Tony is that a fu-freaking--what the HELL DID YOU DO TO THAT WHISK?!”

“I’m gonna just go risk the angry sprinkler water.”

“Oh no no no, you’re not leaving me alone with him-”

  
  


(Pepper found them all a couple minutes later, soaked to the bone and covered in a variety of ingredients.)

(She tried to keep a straight face, but was quickly pulled under the table with them. She teased them for being a bunch of children.)

(Rhodey couldn’t find in himself to care too much.)

(Tony threw another egg at him.)

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it ^^ Please leave kudos or comments if you enjoyed it, and don't forget to go read the other entries in this challenge! -Starlight


End file.
